Tamil Nadu 2026 polls: What have parties promised its voters?

A multi-cornered fight is under way for the 234-seat Tamil Nadu Assembly and parties have released their manifestos to woo voters. Leading the pack with its ‘superstar’ manifesto, the incumbent — Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) — promised free coupons to women, infrastructure projects and to fight against Hindi imposition. Its prime rival — All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) — has promised slew of freebies for all — women, students, differently-abled persons, senior citizens, fishermen, weavers and transgender persons. 

The first to release its manifesto was Seeman’s Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), which going solo in all 234 seats. The Tamil nationalist party, which is yet to win a seat since its founding in 2010, has promised to prioritise women’s representation in the Assembly and Parliament. Other focus areas are water management, climate resilience and welfare schemes for fisherfolk, farmers and unorganised workers. 

Making its starry debut this poll season, actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has made a slew of promises for the State’s youth, rather than releasing a manifesto. On March 29, 2026, TVK promised collateral-free education loans, incentives to companies hiring atleast 75% Tamil workers, a monthly dole to students, unemployed graduates and to promote ‘creatrepreneurs’. 

Here’s a comparison of their promises to different sectors: 

Women

Since the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, focus on women-centric schemes have been the highlight of State polls, wooing voters and giving financial freedom to India’s largest minority — women. 

Following up on its promise in 2021, the DMK has pledged to enhance its monthly payout under the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai from ₹1,000 to ₹2,000. It has supplemented it with the Illatharasi scheme, which offers a ₹8,000-coupon to all “non-Income Tax paying” homemakers to buy any electronic appliances including washing machines, refrigerators, mixer-grinders, ovens, induction stoves and television sets. The DMK has also promised a subsidy of ₹1.5 lakh to women and transgender persons purchase new autos powered by electricity/CNG/LPG. 

Similar to the DMK, its rival AIADMK too has promised a monthly cash transfer of ₹2,000 to women. Additionally, women can avail free bus rides, refrigerators, sewing machines, subsidised two-wheelers, interest-free loans to minorities to start businesses and financial assistance to purchase gold for weddings (Thalikku Thangam scheme). 

Education

Focusing on students, the DMK and the AIADMK have promised free laptops while the TVK and the AIADMK have offered interest- /collateral-free student loans, monthly stipend of ₹2,000 and 75% reservation in jobs for Tamil students. With an outlay of ₹200 crore, the DMK vows to modernise laboratories in all government colleges by 2030 and has a vision to make Tamil Nadu a State with zero school dropout. 

AIADMK has promised to expand horizontal reservation for students of government schools in admission to the medical courses from 7.5% to 10.5% and include climate change students’ curriculum.

Freebies

Across sectors, classes and occupation, all parties have promised financial assistance. DMK has curtailed its freebie promises in comparison to 2021, promising stipends to senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PwD) and fishermen. However, the AIADMK has increased its list of beneficiaries promising payout to every ration card-holding family, fishermen, the elderly, widows, transgender persons, weavers and additional Thai pongal hamper apart from the Pongal dole out. TVK’s monthly stipend are limited to the youth — unemployed graduates, ITI and diploma-holders. 

Apart from direct cash transfers, the AIADMK has also promised free rooftop solar panel installation upto ₹2 kW, interest-free loans for unorganised laborers and PwDs, three free gas cylinders annually to families, subsidised and tax-free fuel to fishermen. TVK has promised doorstep delivery of services generating 5 lakh jobs with a salary of ₹18,000.

Industry  and infrastructure

As the ruling party, DMK’s manifesto has promised a slew of welfare schemes to strengthen different industrial sectors and new infrastructure projects. Proposed schemes include — a ₹5-crore fund for the Folk Arts Welfare Board, promote skill development, textile industry, MSMEs, milk production, foreign investment in the state and acquiring global intellectual properties to license to domestic manufacturers. 

For the agriculture sector, both the DMK and the AIADMK have promised to increase procurement rates for paddy and sugarcane. DMK’s promises focus on investment — a ₹100-crore fund to promote agri-research, creation of ‘Product of Tamil Nadu’ brand, mega agri-project worth ₹2,000 crore and establishing 5,000 new enterprises in rural areas to wean away from agriculture. Similarly, the TVK has proposed a digital promotional campaign for Tamil Nadu’s culture via collaboration with 1.5 lakh ‘creatrepreneurs’. 

Painting a contrasting picture, the AIADMK has doubled down on financial assistance, promising production subsidy of up to ₹15,000 per hectare and accident insurance cover of ₹25 lakh for fishermen. 

Under infrastructure, both the DMK and the AIADMK have promised free housing for Sri Lankan Tamils, cargo terminal in Thoothukudi, desalination plants in every district and convert all city buses to electric. The DMK has promised to set up an export cell, global cities near Tiruchi, Madurai, Coimbatore, and Salem and upgrade ports at Nagapattinam and Cuddalore. 

The AIADMK’s infrastructure promises are majorly limited to Chennai — Satellite Software Park, medical tourism hub, Pharmaceutical Park and Tech city. However, it has promised to build police welfare hospitals and multi-storeyed apartments in Madurai, Coimbatore, Tiruchi, Tirunelveli, Salem, and Vellore, textile parks in Aruppukottai and Ettayapuram and open 200 Amma Mini clinics. 

Relying on the BJP, its partner in the Centre, the AIADMK has promised to complete projects like Sarabanga lift irrigation scheme, Nagapattinam-Thoothukudi-Kanyakumari four-lane highway, Coimbatore and Madurai Metro rail projects

Others

Both the DMK and the AIADMK have made broad affirmations like protection of rights of religious and linguistic minorities and opposition to Hindi imposition.

Once again, hedging its bet on the BJP, the AIADMK has pledged to facilitate “dual citizenship” to Sri Lankan refugees living in rehabilitation camps and a Supreme Court bench in Chennai.

While the DMK has remained mum on imposing prohibition, AIADMK has promised to close state-run liquor shops in a ‘phased manner’ and the TVK has promised to ‘curb drug use’. 

Polling to all 234 seats will be held on April 23, 2026 and counting of votes will be done on May 4, 2026.